STAFF at Southport's doomed ABC cinema have found a novel way to shed light on the issue after learning the 92-year-old venue will close in January.

STAFF at Southport's doomed ABC cinema have found a novel way to shed light on the issue after learning the 92-year-old venue will close in January.

Workers are biding their time until their redundancy cheques turn up by posting comedy messages on a huge illuminated sign outside the Lord Street cinema.

Fake film names like 'Gone in 4 months' have spelled out the fate of the popular picture house to passing shoppers each day.

Other gems like 'Ha! made you look', 'Oi that bloke's a nutter' and 'Bored staff within, please feed', have kept staff and customers smiling despite their frustration.

First opened as the Picture Palace in 1911, the two screen venue is the oldest working cinema in the north, but now looks set to be turned into a themed 'Chicago Rock' cafe.

It was sold by owners Odeon after claims the venue would not survive once the new SBC cinema opened at the resort's new seafront Ocean Plaza leisure complex.

But General Manager Mark Scully, 31, confirmed the ABC has consistently hit its audience targets since a two week dip when SBC opened in October.

He was shocked to learn he was being closed down, after

overseeing a #10,000 refurbishment of the ABC during the last 12 months.

He said: "We are absolutely gutted, and so are the public.

"We love it here, its a real community cinema and we treat our customers like mates.

"We are also the cheapest cinema around, there is nowhere else like it in Southport.

"People keep coming in and asking if we can start up a petition to save the cinema, but its a done deal, there's nothing we can do."

Mark confirmed that the staff are all being offered placements at the Odeon's nearest cinema at Switch Island, but added: "Most of us are from Southport and we don't want to travel there, most of the guys are going to look for new jobs."

In a direct taunt to the new SBC multiplex , staff last week posted the message: 'First they stole our staff, then they stole our customers, now its pay back time.'

But Mark said it was all tongue in cheek humour, and added: "We don't mind SBC, because the town has long needed a multiplex, but we believe there is room for two cinemas.

"We could easily have been turned into an independent film venue, because there isn't one in Southport."

He and staff are now planning a big farewell party for when the cinema finally closes its doors on January 5.

In the meantime, more signs planned for coming weeks include: 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter', and 'Like Santa, we're not working after Christmas.'